Police have recaptured one of three People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) members who escaped from the Cape High Court’s holding cells last month.
Cape Talk radio reported on Monday that police cornered Faizel Samsodien in a Cape Peninsula suburb on Sunday.
They hope that questioning him could lead them to the other two escapees Mogamat Isaacs and Ebrahim Jeneker. The trio broke out of the Cape High Court holding cells on September 19. It was the second time Jeneker had escaped from the same place.
Police began a massive manhunt for the trio and the police watchdog the Independent Complaints Directorate is investigating possible police complicity in the escape.
Police have withheld the details surrounding Samsodien’s capture because of the sensitivity of the case and to protect their informants. Provincial police commissioner Lennit Max said police had received a lot of criticism after the breakout.
”Tonight (Sunday) we’ve made a significant breakthrough,” Max said.
The trio face charges of several counts of murder, attempted murder, the illegal possession of explosives, the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and robbery. ? Sapa